Twelfth ♠ Anonymous Text

[save_the_souls]

Who: Allen Walker (anonymous)
Broadcast: Text, Anonymous
Action: Nope.
When: Today

[Things have been going well for Allen the past month. Very well. And while that was certainly a good thing, he couldn't shake the anxiety that it meant something was about to go horribly wrong. Because you know, because it usually did for him. ]

[So he here was, trying to at least put a few of his fears at rest- especially after this latest round of augment malfunctions. Just what if the next round of malfunctions were less benevolent in nature? In truth - he didn't really expect any good answers. There almost never was when he sought out help. Still, there was always a chance. And at least he'd feel like he was doing something]

[The text post that is put up is anonymous, purposefully typed out not to sound like his own wording.]

i have a question.

is there anyone here who knows about stopping or containing demons or things like them? specifically possessions.

thanks.

Comments

[save_the_souls]

...I'm sorry. it's a terrible thing to happen.

how did you stop it?

[limitstorm]

I accepted the power he gave me and used it to defeat him, basically.
I don't know if I can really say I stopped it, though.

[save_the_souls]

you used his own power against him? and it worked?

[ That's a new one. He always thought you should probably do the opposite of that. Repress those sort of things as much as possible. ]

...why do you say that? is he still there?

[limitstorm]

Yeah.
I dunno how much I can trust what he says, but he said I was immune--he couldn't use me anymore, so instead he went after one of my friends.

[save_the_souls]

...shit.

[ That sucks man! ]

[limitstorm]

He's okay!
Pretty sure he's a little scared even if he won't show it, but... he's fine. He got saved before anything could really happen to him.
Ugh--anyway, the point was... I dunno if it's the same thing, or if whatever's possessing did the same thing mine did, but... you can never know too much.

[save_the_souls]

thank God...i'm relieved to hear that.

[ He wouldn't know what to do if the 14th decided to possess someone else instead ]

no, i appreciate. you're actually the first i've heard of actually defeating a possession....and i've been looking a long time. So it's an incredible thing to hear.

[limitstorm]

[ ... what's that, now?

there's a good minute or two before riku responds. ]

It's really that uncommon? I... I don't know if I'd say it's incredible.

[save_the_souls]

It is.

the only possessions i've heard of being cured were all by someone else's hands. and those were only a few, most possessions i've heard about couldn't be cured at all without killing the host. So to do it on your own, and make yourself immune from happening again...

it's not just incredible. it's miraculous.

[limitstorm]

[ another few minutes pass, because riku can't really reply to this.

being complimented on this is weird. he never expected to win. he had tried to make king mickey promise that if xehanort's heartless took over, that he'd destroy him. none of those things happened. instead, riku sits immune to xehanort's influence and with a title he's not sure he deserves, and on top of that an anonymous stranger is saying what he did was incredible and miraculous.

he just wanted to protect the people closest to him. jeez, he didn't ask for any of this, nor does he think he even deserves praise. ]

I just didn't want him to hurt anyone. I don't think anyone who's been possessed does.
I wish I could do something to really help, but I don't have practically any of my powers here.

[save_the_souls]

[ Meanwhile in those minutes that pass, Allen can feel hope building in him. This was a person that actually beat his possession. That did what Allen always wanted to do but always seemed unable. The circumstances were different, but maybe if Riku was willing to help he could figure out a way at long last...]

[But then he gets his reply. There's a long pause of silence. As quick as the hope built up, it starts to fall into ashes yet again.]

...Oh. I...I see.

[limitstorm]

I'm not letting that end here.
I'm gonna figure out a way to help. There's gotta be a way.

[save_the_souls]

[There's a pause]

Really? You'll still help even without your powers?

[limitstorm]

Of course. I know how bad it is--I don't want anyone to have to go through what I did.

Video // PRIVATE

[save_the_souls]

[There's a long pause at that. Finally, he turns on the encryption so it's just private between the two of them, and flips on the video. It looks like he's in his quarters- or a quarters look like it's permanently decorated for Halloween anyway.]

...Thank you, Riku.

(perma) Video // PRIVATE (1/2)

[limitstorm]

[ ... oh. for a moment or two, he doesn't quiet get it, but when he does, he sucks in a quick breath and looks chastised, like he did something wrong. ]

[limitstorm]

[ but, he relaxes. well, at least allen might understand why riku reacted the way he did, now. ]

... no problem.

[save_the_souls]

[He worries his lip a little, the smile fading.]

...I wouldn't go that far.

[Since really, being a Noah has been nothing but problems. For him, and for so many around him. But he gives out a little sigh, his shoulders sinking and his eyes seem to look down rather than at Riku.]

I'm sorry. My crew's known about it for awhile and so do some of my closest friends, but I usually keep it quiet to everyone else.

...Maybe I should have mentioned something earlier. [What with Kairi being your best friend and all]

[limitstorm]

No, I'm just... surprised.

[ a moment or two, and then riku just starts talking, a little too fast. ]

We're not really alike. I figured someone who went through that would be kind of... similar, I guessed that--if I could figure out something we had in common, it'd make more sense why... [ ... and his voice trails off.

riku has tried to find rhyme or reason why he of all people was possessed, besides the obvious. ]

You're really fierce, I never expected it.

1/2

[save_the_souls]

I think the term more fitting is "hardheaded" rather than fierce, but thank you.

[It's a joke, honestly. Allen is well aware he's a stubborn brat.]

[save_the_souls]

[Jokes aside, his shoulders slump a little and he looks pensive and even regretful, as he speaks]

...But I understand what you mean. Before I got...well, before I got sick, I never expected it'd happen to me either. I was... [He considers mentioning he's an Exorcist and all his merits with that, but he thinks better of it and shakes his head]

No, I'll be truthful- I thought I was better than that. I felt that I was an Exorcist, I was strong, I was careful and I was a good person, so it wouldn't happen to me. I really wasn't much better than the people here that'd call us "Abominations".

[...]

As it turns out, after finding out and meeting many hosts, that isn't the case in the slightest. There's no one type of person who could end up as a host, and it's almost never the case that someone did something so bad they deserved... this. It just...happens, there's no sense to it.

[limitstorm]

[ riku hesitates, thinking over his words before he says them. ]

I can't say I didn't deserve it.

[ he hesitates again, his face a little pained, a little guarded. he's not sure he's comfortable saying this. should he...? it seems their circumstances are different. what good will telling him do? this was all his fault.

still, allen had said all of this. it doesn't feel right to not respond in turn. ]

... Kairi wouldn't wake up, no matter what, back then. I thought our other friend--Sora--abandoned us, so I was trying to find a way to wake her up. I ended up fighting Sora, and when I lost...

[ he sighs, quietly. ]

I said I wanted to be stronger, for Kairi--for both of us, he said he could help. I invited him in. I didn't know he was taking over my body until too late.

[ in the end, he shakes his head. ] I deserved what I got. I just wondered why he got me alone in the first place.

[save_the_souls]

[There's a pause before he responds. The change in his expression is subtle, but it's there. It's anger. Anger at what happened to Riku. But then the anger passes, and he speaks more quietly]

...No, you didn't deserve that.

You were trying to help a friend, and you made a mistake. That happens. I've made lots of mistakes while trying to help people. So have many others. And even if it's easy to blame yourself and say you deserved it when the consequences are that severe, and some people might even encourage that you do...

It's not true. I know...no one deserves what you happened to you, Riku.

1/2

[limitstorm]

[ at first, he thinks allen is angry with him, and he lowers his head in shame. his words bring him back, make him look up at him, startled.

... for him to be promptly confused (and floored) all over again. a mistake? can you really call almost letting xehanort's heartless have what he wanted a mistake? for a few moments, riku just seems chastised, before rubbing the back of his neck. ]

2/2

[limitstorm]

I dunno if I can accept that I didn't, but... [ he can try? he just shakes his head after another moment. ]

I don't think anyone else deserves what happened to me. [ he breathes in, holds it for a count or two, before exhaling. ] And I want to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone ever again. I can't help what happened to you, or anyone else, but I want to help reverse it, if I can.

[ a little smile. ]

At least you've still got yourself.

[ because riku knows by the way everyone's reacted when they met with him on the islands--he knows fighting with xehanort's heartless stripped him of almost all of himself. he hopes allen isn't the same. ]